


The Dog Park

by XWingKC



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28319685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XWingKC/pseuds/XWingKC
Summary: Jack takes Cassie to the dog park and meets someone who may change his life.MANY thanks to my amazing beta, GWhite. I swear sometimes she lives inside my brain.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 41
Kudos: 77





	1. Chapter 1

Jack and Cassie arrived at the dog park and found only about four other dogs playing with their people in the fenced area. Jack had adopted a dog for Cassie a few days ago. His friend Janet had adopted Cassie earlier in the year, and he and his friends were helping out getting Cassie settled in. Janet was an ER doctor at the large UCHealth trauma hospital in town. 

Jack was the Dean at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs campus. He had worked hard to get to this top position at the University. His demeanor was very sarcastic by nature, and often got reprimanded by his superiors. But Jack had one of the strongest work ethics his friends had ever seen. And his colleagues knew it too. So after 23 years in the UC system, he was finally selected for a top spot on campus.

Cassie had not yet picked a name for the Shiba Inu Jack picked out for her from the local shelter. The dog was a little older, but had a lot of spunk and a zest for life. Cassie fell in love with him immediately. Jack threw a ball for the dog, and the dog took off. Cassie ran after the dog. 

“Good. She’ll be tired, too, when I take her back to her mother,” he said out loud to himself. 

He watched her run after the Shiba Inu. The dog picked up the ball and ran straight back to Cassie. Jack smiled to himself, then started looking around at the other people and dogs in the park today. A family of four had their German Shepherd out chasing after a tennis ball. Another family of three had their small, older Basset Hound walking around doing its business. 

His eyes moved to the double gate entrance to the dog play area. What he saw stopped his heart. Or at least he swore his heart stopped for a beat or two. Coming into the dog park was a tall, blonde bombshell walking into the park with her chocolate lab. 

She was gorgeous. She had long legs that would not end. Her hair was perfectly blonde, and stopped right below her chin. Her hair was pulled back away from her face in a headband, and he could see her smile from across the way. She smiled at her chocolate lab, unclipped the leash, and told the dog to go play.

The lab took off to go sniff the other dogs, and to go do his business. The woman clipped the dog leash up on the fence with the other leashes. Her dog had a harness on as he played and sniffed with the other dogs. Jack could not move his feet. He was mesmerized by the blonde woman with the chocolate lab. 

The woman waved hello to the family with the German Shepherd. He thought she must know them, or at least know them from going to the dog park. He was staring at her when she turned her head towards him. 

She had a smile on her face that went from one of her ears to the other. She caught his eyes, and he was frozen in place. She was beautiful. He had never seen someone with such natural beauty before. He tried to smile, but wasn’t sure what his face was doing.

Just then, Cassie’s unnamed dog came running up to him with a certain chocolate lab in tow. The lab ran into his legs, breaking his trance with the lab’s owner. He laughed, and grimaced a little from the impact of the lab. He reached down to pet the lab who was rubbing against his leg begging for some love.

He looked up to the lab’s owner and smiled again. He saw she was already walking over towards him. His insides bunched up in anticipation of her arrival. She finally got to him, and she had already turned him into a pile of goo.

“Hey, sorry about that! He loves people,” she said quickly. He smiled back at her and found his voice.

“It’s OK. This is a dog park, afterall,” he said with a smile.

He noticed her eyes were a gorgeous blue-grey color that sparkled in the sunlight. Her hair was short, but blowing in the soft wind behind her head band. Her body was perfect. She looked like she worked out a lot. She was definitely in shape. He had to keep his eyes up because she was voluptuous in all the right places. 

“Right. Is that your dog?” she asked him.

“Sort of. I did pick him out,” he said with a smirk.

“So cute. Shiba Inu?” she asked him.

“Yes he is. Nice eye,” he said.

Just then Cassie walked up to Jack with her dog’s ball.

“Uncle Jack, he didn’t carry the ball himself,” she complained a little bit at her dog’s lack of retrieving skills.

“Well, my dog is a retriever, and he’s quite picky as well,” the lady said to Cassie. “What’s your dog’s name?” Sam asked.

“I haven’t picked one yet,” Cassie replied. “What is your dog’s name?” 

“My dog’s name is Koa,” Sam said, bending down to hug and pet her dog. Jack noticed her bending over and cleared his throat. 

“Koa, huh? That’s Hawaiian, right?” Jack said. The woman stood back up and smiled big at him.

“Ya, it is. It means strong warrior,” she said, looking at him inquisitively. 

“Nice,” he said, sounding like a character from the TV show The Simpsons. It made her laugh a little.

“I’m Sam, by the way. My dad did a tour at Hickam Air Force Base when I was little. I’ve always loved the name for a boy. Then this little guy came along, and it just fit,” she said looking back at him with her smile.

“I’m Jack, this is Cassie,” he said, reaching out his hand. “Air Force, huh? You in, too?” he asked. Colorado Springs was an Air Force town.

“Me? No. Not even close. I think my dad wanted me to, but it didn’t work out. I teach Astrophysics at UC Boulder,” she offered.

His eyebrows shot up, and he was sure his eyes popped out of his head. They worked for the same school system. 

“Why the look of surprise?” she asked, noticing Cassie also looking at him strangely.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry. It’s not like. I didn’t mean to, gah,” he stumbled through his words, “I’m Dean of UC Colorado Springs,” he said finally. 

Her face lit up again with that smile that made him turn to goo. He smiled a little bit back to her, feeling a pull on his insides.

“So do you work for my Uncle Jack?” Cassie asked, leaning down to pet her dog.

Jack let out a harrumph, and squeezed Cassie into his side. Sam smiled at the girl, then looked up to Jack.

“No, not really. Now, if he were to become Chancellor of the UC System, then perhaps I would work indirectly for him,” she said with something added to her voice, he thought. Was she coming on to him?

“I am not sure I have the desire to make it that far,” he humbly said.

“Well, Dean is still an amazing feat, Uncle Jack. I only made tenure a year and a half ago,” Sam said. Now he was certain she was flirting with him.

Sam threw the ball for Koa, and he ran off towards the ball. Cassie’s dog tried to run and keep up, but was quickly outrun, and turned back around to trot back to Cassie.

“So what brings you to The Springs?” he asked her.

“I’m visiting my dad. He works at The Mountain doing secret squirrel stuff. He was sick for a while, but he got the Air Force to do some new drug trial on him, and it ended up curing his cancer. Now he is gone a lot, so when he’s in town, I make the best of it.” 

“That is nice, Sam. Family is important.” Sam looked to Cassie.

“What is your dog’s name?” Sam asked Cassie.

“I haven’t picked a name yet,” Cassie said. 

Sam knelt down beside Cassie and petted her dog. 

“How about an astronomy name?” Sam asked.

“What is that?” Cassie asked. 

“Astronomy deals with the physical makeup of the universe. Stars and planets, and everything that is out there. A lot of famous people throughout time have contributed to what we know today. Copernicus. Tyson. Kepler. Brahe. Hubble and Galileo,” Sam said.

Jack watched Sam talk to Cassie and was touched by her tenderness.

“Hubble?” Cassie asked.

“Yes. It’s a telescope that Earth has up in orbit. It’s used to take pictures of galaxies far, far away,” she said. Jack swore she sounded like she was quoting Star Wars, a personal favorite of one of his professors.

“Uncle Jack, can we name him Hubble?” Cassie got excited.

“Cass, you can name him whatever you want. I’m sure your mom will love it,” he said.

“Hubble! You have a name!” Then Cassie ran off with both dogs to go play.

Sam and Jack looked nervously at each other. 

“So, Uncle Jack,” Sam started with the cutest look on her face, “are you and Cassie’s mom involved?”

Jack let out an actual laugh this time. 

“Me and Janet? No way. She’s married to my best friend, Daniel. Her mom is an ER doc at the trauma center. She saved my life after I was in a pretty bad car wreck a few years ago. She met Daniel when he was visiting me in my recovery room. It was downhill from there” he said with a gleam in his eye. 

“What about you, Miss Astrophysics? Got a boyfriend? Husband? Girlfriend?” he asked, almost leaning in and bumping her shoulder, but he pulled back.

Sam’s smile disappeared a little from her face when he asked. He noticed the change in her demeanor.

“Sam, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. It’s OK. You don’t have to answer that,” he said softly.

“No, it’s OK. It’s just a topic that is better discussed privately. Like maybe over dinner?” she asked him.

He turned to her and smiled at her. He noticed she was almost as tall as he was. Their hips were pretty much at the same level. Perfect height for…

“Sam. Did you just ask little ol’ me out on a date?” he said with a smirk that she wanted to kiss off of his face.

“I think I did, Jack. I’m here for one more week, just so you know,” she said with that smile again.

“What are you doing tonight?” he asked.

“I guess I’m having dinner with you,” she said, moving a little closer to him.

“I need your address,” he said, lowering his voice.

“If you guys walk me back to my car, I will write it down for you,” she said.

“I guess that sounds like a date,” he said.

“Yes. It sure does.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack takes Sam on a date and meets her dad. 
> 
> Another big tip of the fedora to GWhite for shaping this chapter into what it is.
> 
> I posted on my phone so let me know if there’s issues

Jack picked Sam up later that evening. He figured the house he pulled up to was her father’s house. It was a cute one story bungalow in a neighborhood across from a nice park. He walked up the few stairs to the front door and knocked.

An older gentleman opened the door. He was shorter than Jack, but the man held himself with an air of authority. The two men stared at each other for a few moments, neither backing down.

“Who are you?” the older man asked.

“Hello, sir, I’m Jack O’Neill. I’m looking for Sam?” he asked more than said.

The older man squinted his eyes at Jack, and made a grunt noise. The man in front of him was many years older than his daughter. Jack swore he saw the man’s eyes glow for a moment.

“Right. Her date from the dog park. You can wait for her inside, right there,” the older man said, pointing to the area just inside the door. 

All of a sudden Jack saw Koa running through the house towards the front door. The two men heard Sam yell from inside the house.

“Koa! Come here!” she yelled.

The two men heard, then saw Sam run to where the dog disappeared to. Koa was rubbing his body back and forth across Jack’s legs just like a cat would. Jack was petting Koa, and telling him what a good boy he was. When Sam rounded the corner and saw that, she immediately smiled.

“Oh hi Jack. I see you made a friend today,” she said, reaching down to also pet Koa.

Jacob stared at Jack and his daughter. Deep down he did think this was very cute. But, Jack just seemed too old for her. But he also saw the way she was smiling at Jack. Jacob made a noise, and Sam rolled her eyes at him.

“Dad, stop. Jack, this is my dad, Jacob. Dad, this is Jack,” she said with her smile. 

“Dad, nice to meet you.” 

“No, I’m Jacob. You have to actually marry my daughter to call me that, and right now, this is not going in your favor.”

“Dad!” Sam exclaimed, but Jacob continued.

“You met at the dog park?”

“Yes, dad. We did. Now be nice,” Sam said, hugging her dad’s arm.

“I took my niece to the dog park with the dog I just got her. She was adopted earlier this year by friends of mine. We’re all trying to make the girl comfortable,” Jack added.

Jacob’s eyebrows raised a little bit at that confession. Maybe this old man has some good qualities.

“Really?” Jacob asked.

“It’s true,” Jack said, smiling to Sam, “and then a beautiful woman walked into the park with her chocolate lab, and here we are.”

Sam blushed, and Jacob made another harrumph.

“Alright, take care of Koa, Dad. You ready?” she asked Jack.

“Ya, sure, you betcha,” he said to her. Jack reached his hand out to Jacob. “Nice to meet you, Jacob.”

Jacob shook his hand, but still looked questioningly at Jack. Sam laughed at her dad’s changed expression.

“Dad, I’m fine. I’ll see you later,” she said, hugging her dad. “You be a good boy, Koa.”

The dog sat down in front of Sam and gave her puppy eyes. She looked down and saw his cute face.

“OK, OK, fine. Hang on. I have to give him a departure treat,” Sam said, and walked into the kitchen to grab a Greenie.

She gave Koa the Greenie. He took it and ran into the living room to eat it. Sam laughed and smiled at her dad.

“Alright, now we can go,” she said. Jacob grumbled but hugged his daughter on her way out.

Jack escorted Sam out to his truck. He had a dark green colored Ford F-250. He got in the driver’s seat and smiled over at her.

“Well, hello again, Sam,” he said as he started the truck.

“Hello again, Jack,” she said back to him.

“I was thinking of taking you to O’Malley’s. Have you been there?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“It’s a local restaurant I frequent. Mix of a bar, darts, pool, and food,” he said with that smirk again.

She found Jack to be incredibly attractive. His hair was greying already. He looked like he stayed in great shape for having a desk job. He was tall, and she noticed his fingers were long. Very long.

“That sounds good. Thank you.”

They traveled in comfortable silence mixed with small talk. It wasn’t a long drive to O’Malley’s and Sam took some time to look out the window to look at Colorado Springs. She is normally driving when she is down here and doesn’t get to see much when she is visiting her dad.

Jack pulled into the parking lot at O’Malley’s. He walked around to Sam’s side of the truck and opened the door for her. He offered her his hand as she stepped down out of the cab. They walked to the restaurant door and he opened it for her. He immediately saw Daniel’s family and Murray at a large table off to the side.

“Aw crap,” Jack said quietly, but loud enough for Sam to hear.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, right as the hostess came to seat them.

“My friends are here. I was hoping it was just going to be me and you,” he said, looking over to her.

Sam looked in the direction that he was looking. She saw Cassie sitting there.

“Is that Cassie?” Sam asked.

“Sure is. And her mom, Daniel, and Murray. We can ask to be seated on the other side of the restaurant,” he offered quickly. 

Just then Daniel noticed Jack at the door. Daniel yelled and waved at Jack.

“Sam, what do you want?” Jack asked her. He was giving her the choice for the night.

On the one hand, she wanted alone time to get to know him. On the other hand, she did only meet Jack a few hours ago. Having dinner with other people around could give her an exit if she needed one. Janet and Cassie were there. She could maybe sit close to them.

“I think I’m OK having dinner with your friends,” she said to him.

He smiled down at her, and waved back to Daniel. He turned to the hostess and said they will sit with his friends.

He walked with Sam over to them. He took the time to place his palm on her lower back. She could feel the heat of his hand through her shirt. She glanced up at him and gave him a small smile. She wasn’t used to being treated like this. She was finding she liked it.

Cassie got up ran up to Sam and said hello to her. Then Cassie grabbed Sam’s hand and brought her to her mother.

“Mom! This is Sam! The one with the chocolate lab!” 

Sam reached her hand out to Cassies’ mother.

“Janet, right?” Sam asked. Janet shook her head.

“I am. This is my husband, Daniel, and our friend Murray,” Janet finished the introductions. “It is very nice to meet you.”

Sam sat in between Cassie and Jack. Janet sat across from Cassie, Daniel across from Sam, and Murray across from Jack.

“So you all work with Jack?” Sam asked.

“All but me. I’m the one that saved his ass a few years ago,” Janet said, which then elicited the complete story of Jack’s accident from all of the other adults at the table. 

“Ya, so busted leg, really bad, and then a perforated colon. If it weren’t for Janet’s eyes on my MRI, the perforation never would have been found. I’d have probably died,” Jack said. Sam looked at Jack to her side as he spoke. Then she turned to Daniel.

“How long have you known Jack?” she asked Daniel.

“Wow. I think, what, eight years now? I teach Anthropology and Ancient Religions on campus. We ran into each other at a bookstore of all places. He was looking for something for his son,” Daniel said, then abruptly stopped talking.

Sam looked at Jack and saw his eyes had gone dark, and he sat back in his seat, staring at Daniel.

“Jack, look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean,” Daniel started before Jack cut him off.

“It’s fine,” Jack said.

“So, Sam works at UC Boulder of all places. She teaches Astrophysics.” Jack quickly said.

They all looked at Sam. Sam sank into her seat and blushed.

“I do, it’s true,” she said, looking at Janet.

“Wow. That’s impressive,” Murray said. “I teach history. I also teach self defense.”

“I’m just in junior high,” they heard Cassie at the end of the table. They all smiled and laughed with Cassie.

They all continued with dinner and talking. Sam really liked Jack’s friends. Sam noticed Jack was still tense after the comment made about his son. She decided if this goes any further that she’d eventually ask him about that. 

After dinner, Daniel and Janet took Cassie home. Cassie gave Sam a big hug and hoped she’d see her again. Murray said good night, which left Sam and Jack alone at the table.

Sam turned sideways in her seat to face Jack. Her right arm was up on the chair’s backrest, and she crossed her left leg over her right. He thought she looked incredible. Jack turned a bit to his left to face Sam a little more. He looked at her right hand, draping over the top of her chair. He could reach her hand if he just could move his arm.

“So,” she started.

“So. Was that OK to sit with everyone here on our first date?” he asked, giving her a look that she easily interpreted as desire. His eyes seemed to speak their own language to her.

“Ya I am fine with it. Sort of gave me a buffer, and an out, if I decided I didn’t like you,” she said with a smile. 

He gave her a small laugh, then he did reach a hand out to brush her fingers with his. They both felt something pass between them.

“Yes, well, I am glad you are still here talking to me,” he said. “So now what?” he asked her.

“Well, we can sit here and talk. We can go play pool in the back. Or you can just take me home and call it a night,” she said, staring him in the eyes.

He leaned into her some more.

“Or I can take you back to my place” he whispered out.

She looked from his eyes to his lips, then back to his eyes.

“No, Jack, you cannot take me back to your place. That was not one of the options,” she said emphatically.

He liked her reply. She was strong and knew what she wanted. He sat upright in his seat, but still facing her. He crossed his arms in front of him and looked at her big eyes staring back at him.

“You are right. Can’t blame a guy for trying,” he said sarcastically, trying to break the tension. “So, I take it if you are out with me, there’s no one else in your life right now?” he asked.

She averted her eyes, but still kept a small smile on her face.

“No. I’m very single right now,” she said, taking in a breath to speak some more, but paused while she raised her eyes back to him.

“I was dating a cop. He lives in Denver. At first it was OK, I guess. But, after we, well, you know, it sort of went downhill. He got manipulative with me, and I could start to see myself change in front of my eyes. I didn’t like what I saw. Neither did my dad,” she said.

“So not really serious, then?” Jack asked.

“Oh, no. It got serious. We were engaged,” she laughed out, “but I started to feel suffocated. He didn’t listen to what I wanted. The sex got lame and unexiting. He started to not call much, so I said we’re done one day. He didn’t like that too much, but my dad got involved and said or did something to Pete, and that was that. He never bothered me again,” she said, sitting tall and proud.

Jack looked impressively at her. He had no clue how sex could ever be boring with someone like her. But now deep down he worried about her dad. He saw his eyes, or swore he saw something in Jacob’s eyes. Could the man really be dangerous?

Jack uncrossed his arms and rested his left elbow on the table.

“Then I better try to not be boring,” he said, perhaps a bit too seductively. She rolled her eyes at him and still was able to give him a small smile. 

“Want to share anything about your son?” she asked softly. His face and body hardened. She could instantly tell that was a very hard topic.

“Sam, I, uh,” and he stopped.

“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry. I can tell it’s hard. Don’t answer. We have time,” Sam said softly, reaching for his hand on the table. He saw her touch his hand, then looked up at her.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, when he made eye contact. He squeezed her hand.

“It’s OK. Maybe one day. Let’s see how things go?” he asked her.

“I think I’d like that very much.”

They looked at each other again, and he squeezed her hand one last time before moving to stand up. He took her by the elbow and helped her up out of her seat. They were standing very close to each other. He looked inquisitively at her.

“How old are you, anyways?” he asked her. She smiled and laughed.

“I’m 30,” she said.

“Thirty? And you’ve already made tenure?” he asked.

“Ya, I graduated with my PhD when I was 21. Got the job in Boulder with the job placement through the University. Made tenure in less than nine years,” she said with a smile.

“Very impressive, Sam. Took me twelve to make tenure. The rest of the years I’ve been in Administration.”

She turned her head towards the pool tables.

“Wanna play? I’ll let you go first,” she said with a challenge. He felt like he was being set up.

“What does the loser get?” he asked. 

“How about a second date?” she said.

“Deal,” he said. “What does the winner get?” he said, wagging his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes at him again and smiled.

“How about a second date?” she repeated. She laughed at him.

“So, it looks like I win no matter what. Let’s go,” he said.


End file.
